Tabulating machine



c. REYNoLD A1,914,292

' TABULATING MACHINE June 13,1933.

Filed Aug. 13, 1930` ,3.6 FIM @ggf IT/59 @I Haz/22 E?" l',

le /w n n 18 lll Il m m m n n1 n V. uw www `i\\\\;\\\\\\\\\\\ Y in YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LYNUs CLYDE REYNOLDS, or SWEETWATER,TENNESSEE,l AssIGNoR `To THE TABULAT- ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT,NEW'YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY TABULATING MACHINE `Applicationled August 13, 1930. Serial No. 474,927.

This invention relates to tabulating machines and more particularly tothose controlled by perforated record cards. It is t-he primary objectIof' the present invention to provide an automatic control device forcon'- trolling the operation of a tabulating typewriter of the typedisclosed in applicants Patent No. 1,519,054, issued December 9, 1924.

The device provides contacting mechanism adapted to sense theperforations in a particular field of a record card in advance of theregular data sensing devices to determine whether the card belongs tothe group being tabulated. The detection of a change in group numberwill cause the cessation of machine Operation if all cards being runthrough the machine have been pre-sorted to the same group number. Thestoppage of the machine will be an indication that there has been anerror in sorting and the misplaced card may be removed before the datathereon has been accumulated with the data of the preceding cards.

A further object resides in the provision of a novel Contact device pastwhich the cards are movable transversely of the columns thereof andincluding an'arrangement whereby the circuits for controlling can beopened or rendered inoperative for certain columns of the cards whichare not used for automatic control. f

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forthin the accompanying specification and claims, and shown in the drawing,which by Way of illsustration shows what is now considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic Viewl of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the automatic control drum and selectivelyoperated sliders.

In the drawing, 10 represents the solenoids which are suitably connectedto the tabu- `lating devices of the tabulator in a mann-er fullydisclosed in the patent referred to.

The punched cards v11 are fed from a convenient magazine by 'areciprocatorypicker 12, one by one in a longitudinal direction.-

into cooperation with a Control drum 13 and an analyzing drum 14. Thesedrums are driven in unison by a motor 15 and are spaced apart so thatthe field of the cardv bearing control number perforations will besensed by brushes 16 before the -data i'elds are'analyzed by brushes 17.IIt is obvious that by spacing the drumsfurther apart, the entire cardmay be sensed by brushes 16 before the leading edge of the cardencounters brushes 17. The drums have a rolling Contact with the cardsas they pass by and feed rollers (not shown) may be provided to assistin moving the cards through the machine. The

-manner in which the cards are successively fed past the brushes isfully shown and described in Patent No. '1,519,054 and need not befurther explained here. Suiiice it to say that for each card passedthrough the machine drums U13 and 14 will make one com plete revolution,making rolling contactwith the surface of the cards and cooperating witheach card in like manner so that a particular point on a drum willcontact with the same point on each card.

Drum 13 is constructed of insulating material and has its circumferenceslotted 'to receive a plurality of sliders 18, fitting into wedgedshaped slots which restrain the sliders against radial displacement. Acontact.

ing sleeve 19 has a flange 20 engaging the lnnier edge of the varioussliders 18. The

brush 21 is constructed so as to have a wiping contact against the endofthe sleeve 19, as the drum 13 rotates.

Each slider 18 has a projection 22 and the Asame is manually slidable inan axial di- The device has been shown as being adapted toy Controlmachine Operations through a single column and by means'of theselectlvearrangement of sliders 18. the particular slider selected to correspondto the controlling column ofthe card may be moved to rect perforation inthis column, the machin-ev will continue to opprate, but if noperforation is present in the index position in question or one ispresent in some other index position, the operating circuit will beinterrupted and the machine will stop before the data` has been sensedby the analyzing brushes`17 so that the operator may remove the card.

Referring now to the electric circuit of the machine, the disk 25 ofdrum 14 is connected directly by wires`26 and 27 to one side of battery28 and analyzing lcircuits will be completed through the data eld of thecard by brushes 17 connected to solenoids 10 which in turn are connectedthrough wire 9 to the other` side of battery 28. The function ofsolenoids 10 -is well explained in the above mentioned patent.

One brush or termin-al of the motor 151s connected to wires 29 and 30extending from battery 28 while wire 31 leading from the other brush orterminal of the motor is connected to one of a pair of contacts 32. Theother contact of said pair being connected to Wire 33 so that the switch34 controls the circuit 31-33. Wire 33 terminates in7 one of a pair ofcontacts 35, the other contact of which is connected to a'wire 36, and aswitch 37 connects the two contacts 35 to complete the circuit B3-36.

As explained in the patent referred to, the

typewriter carriage at the completion of each cycle of operations undercontrol of a card will bring a pointer 38 Aagainst. the contact 39 whichwill. close the circuit of magnet 40 and thereby move switch 37 awayfrom the contacts 35. This will open the circuit ofmotor 15 whichincludes battery 28, wire 29, motor 15, wire 31, contacts 32, wire 33,contacts 35 and wires 36 and 27. This interruption of the motor circuitwill cause stoppage of the drums 13 and 14. The motor 41 is thereuponbrought into operation so as tov return the carriage. This circuit iscompleted through the switch 37 from battery 28,v wire 30, contacts 50,motor. 41, wires 43 and 27 back to battery 28.` The motor 41 will causereturn of the carriage in a known manner and upon completion of itsmovement the carriage will cause a tripping member disclosed in thepatent to move against switch 37 and rock the switch back against thecontacts 35 thereby stopping motor 41 and again bringing the motor 15into operation.

This will continue the movement of the cards by bringing the next cardinto position between drum 13 and brushes 16 to sense the controlcolumn.

' The arrangement and timing of the device is such that during the abovefeeding cycle the brushes 16 traverse the control column before the datalield is presented to the brushes 17 for analysis and control of theaccumulating mechanism. If the correct perforation is presented, theopening of contact 24 will be prevented from breaking the nor, mallyclosedv circuit of magnet 42. This circuit extends from battery 28,wires 27 and 43, magnet 42, wire 44 to normally closed contact 24 andthence through wires 45, 46` and 30 back to battery. Contact 24 isadapted to open at the instant the selected column is presented to thebrushes 16 so that if the correct perforation is presented the cir-Acuit through the contact will be shunted from the magnet 42 through wire47, brush 16, hole rush 21., wires 46 and 30 back to battery. l Theabsence ofthe perforation at the Vselective index point osition will notshunt contact 24 at its brea ing position and consequently the circuitthrough magnet 42 is broken and its .armature switch will be rockedunder the influence of its spring to open contacts 32. Theopening ofthese con'- tacts in turn will interrupt the circuit to motor 15 and thedevice will cease operating. This is a signal to the operator that acardhaving a different control perforation than those being tabulated ispresented to brushes 16 and the operator will be apprised thatthe first,card of the new group is present and may therefore proceed to totalizethe j foregoing cards, and clear the accumuljators preparaftory toentering information from the new n the card, projection 22, slider 18,sleeve 19,

and pointed out thefundamental. novel features of the invention asapplied to a single modification, it will he understood that variousomissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of thedevice illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention. lt is theintention therefore to belimited only as indicated by the scope of thefollowing claims:

1. In a machine of the class described, a plurality f analyzing devicesfor sensing perforations in columns of a record card which is adaptedrto'be fed transversely of the columns thereof past said analyzingdevices, ay member movable with said card and having a selectivelypositionable contacting device adapted to be positioned for registrationWith a single one of said analyzing devices, through a perforation inthe card and means for controlling the operation of the machine as anincident to the registration of said contact and ther selected analyzingdevice through va perforation in the card.

2. In combination a tabulating machine having means therein forsuccessively'and continuously feeding record cards transversely of thecolumns thereof, ari-automatic control device provided with settablemeans for sensing the perforations in said cards column by column andfor interrupting the continuous card feed when the perforations in thecard do not agree in arrangement with the setting of said settablemeans.

3. In a card controlled machine of the class described in combination, atabulating machine, analyzing means for successively analyzing thecolumns of perforated record cards to lcontrol said tabulating machine,a settable automatic control device positionable to cooperate with aselected indexpoint position in a selected card column and meanscontrolled by said control -device for preventing the further operationof said tabulating machine WhenA said device fails to register with aperforation inthe selected card column index point position.l

4f.r In a card controlled machine of the class described, in combinationa tabulating machine for accumulating items from record .i cards, andprovided with means for cony device in the arrangement of its controlforations.

tinuously andsuccessively feeding cards therethrough i Ltransversely ofthe columns thereof, a settable control device adaptedv to movesynchronously with the cards, means "for comparing the arrangement oftheperforations of said cards -with said settable device, and means calledinto operation by said device for interrupting the. continuous card feedwhen a cardl is unlike the settable 5. In a machine lof the classdescribed haviig feeding mechanism adapted to feed cards continuouslyand successively in a direction transversely of the columns thereof, -la series of brushes, one for each vindex polnt osition adapted toanalyze the cards vcolumn y column as they progress through themachine,a drum moving in synchronism the card and having a contacting slider,positionable to' cooperate with any one of said mental brushes sensecontrol hole perfora-v tions before data perforations'arrive at theanalyzing brushes, a drum having contacting sliders positionable toconform to the location of control positions on the card, means formoving said sliders into column by column cooperation with the card, acircuit adapted to be completed through the control perforations betweenthe supplemental brushes and the sliders and to be interrupted if thelocations of perforations do not agree with the location of the sliders.

7. In a machine of the class described in claim 6 in combinationtherewith, a magnet in said circuit and contacts controlled by saidmagnet to control the operation. of the machine.

In testimonywvhereofl hereto ailix my brushes, a machine controllingcircuit adapted to be completed between said brushes -and slider througha perforation in therecord card and means forinterrupting said circuitupon failure ofsaid slider to cooperate with said brush due totheabsence of tion in the preselected index position.

a perforaius.J

